Sailing Away with a Dead Bride
I don’t always remember how an author first crosses my radar, but I do know I’ve wanted to try author K.B. Jackson for a while. So, when I won a copy of Until Depths Do Us Part, the first in her Cruising Sisters Mysteries, I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did.
Recent widow Charlotte McLaughlin had her world turned upside down when her husband of twenty years died. It wasn’t just his death but the bombshells he left behind as well. One thing she learned about was the cabin aboard a private residence ship that he’d purchased in both of their names. That comes in handy when her nephew, Andy, finds himself looking for a wedding venue just a few weeks out from his Thanksgiving wedding. She’s able to find cabins to rent to the wedding party and family on board to make this dream wedding happen.
Charlotte isn’t certain about Andy’s relationship with his bride-to-be, Phoebe. But she’s trying to accept the young woman for Andy’s sake. However, their first night on board the ship, someone kills Phoebe. The head of the ship’s security is certain that Andy is the culprit, but Charlotte doesn’t believe it. She and her sister, Jane, team up to figure out what really happened. Can they clear his name?
I must admit, when I started to read this book, I was a bit put off by the fact that this cruise was to Alaska. In November. Anyone who knows anything about cruising knows that the major cruise lines don’t sail there that time of year. Of course, this is a private cruise ship. And fiction. However, a couple of the characters make observations about it as well, so I was very quickly able to let that go.
And I’m glad I didn’t let that get in my way since I had a fabulous time with the book. Charlotte has quite a backstory, but I didn’t feel like it slowed down the beginning of the book at all. In fact, the book goes a great job of getting us into the mystery as quickly as possible. As Charlotte and Jane begin their investigation, the list of suspects begins to grow, which I appreciated. I did feel like Charlotte’s interactions with one character got repetitive, but that’s a minor complaint. There were plenty of twists, revelations, and family drama to keep me glued to the pages. The climax is perfectly logical.
We met the majority of the characters in a group scene. When that happens, I usually struggle to keep them straight, and that proved true here. However, as I got further into the book, I began to remember who all the characters were. By the end, they’d grown into characters I cared about.
Charlotte and Jane stood out from the beginning. I really liked these sisters, and I enjoyed spending time with them watching them solve the case. I’m happy that I’ve got two more books in the series to get to know them better.
And, of course, the cruise ship setting was fabulous. I loved getting to pretend I was being spoiled like the characters were. Well, when they weren’t dealing with a very real murder. The book does walk the fine line and treats the murder as the serious business it is.
I was sad to turn the final page of Until Depths Do Us Part. I will definitely be booking my next cruise with Charlotte and Jane soon.
